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82.
The Editor Speaks.
Original cartoon pen and ink drawing for the editorial page of International Times depicting a gentleman seated on a Victorian armchair with a gigantically oversized mouth. Printed in IT’s debut issue (October 14, 1966), and again in the following three issues.
36x26cm. Black ink on pale cream paper. Printer’s instructions to verso in Hoppy’s hand, with a later pencilled annotation by Miles added below. Old central horizontal crease (probably from mailing); light handling creases; o/w Very Good. Mounted and framed behind perspex in a vintage silver aluminium frame. Illustrated in Underground Graphics (p.75).
Mal Dean, a contemporary of John Lennon at the Liverpool School of Art, subsequently contributed numerous cartoons to IT, including the Jefferson Airplane advert in #19; “The Happy New Life” poster for #22.5; and the entire front cover for #53 (March 28, 1969).
Alongside his work as a cartoonist and illustrator, Dean played jazz trumpet, teaching Mike Ratledge about avant-garde music and occasionally performing with him in his early Soft Machine period. He also formed his own group, Mal Dean’s Amazing Band. Later, he became known for contributing the record sleeve and poster artwork for Pete Brown’s bands, The Battered Ornaments and Piblokto! (see item #189).
He also contributed illustrations to Michael Moorcock’s New Worlds magazine, and drew numerous portraits of his jazz heroes, among them Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Cecil Taylor, Jackie McLean, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Ian Carr, and Stan Tracey, most of which were published in Melody Maker, including “AMM: Lou Gare and Eddie Prevost” in September 1973.
A sketch version of this finished drawing, “The Editor Speaks’, is part of the Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection at the V&A Museum.
Price:
£1,500.00
